Volunteers

SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS
The Board of Education welcomes, endorses, and encourages the use of school volunteers in the schools. School volunteer programs must provide adequate screening and reasonable supervision of volunteers based upon the amount of student contact and adequate training of volunteers. Before a volunteer is assigned to a task in a school, he or she will be screened.
Purpose of Screening

1. The objective of screening is to ensure, so far as is reasonably possible, that students are safe in school environments. Screening of volunteers is crucial because of the vulnerability of the school-aged population.
2. Screening will be used to identify volunteers who may pose an unacceptable risk to students or to the school system. The screening process is a means to assess the potential of an individual volunteer to physically or emotionally harm others, to steal or damage property, or to violate Craven County Schools confidentiality procedures. Volunteers are bound by the standards of conduct applicable to school employees. The principal/designee may terminate the services of a volunteer if the principal/designee deems appropriate.Volunteers whose prior history including criminal history, demonstrates a risk to the safety or well-being of students, will be denied participation in the volunteer program.
   • Conditions for rejecting a volunteer’s participation may include but not be limited to the following:
     • Conviction of or Plea of No Contest to any felony.
     • Conviction of or Plea of No Contest to any misdemeanor that indicates the volunteer may pose a threat to the integrity or safety of the school environment.
     • More than one DWI
     • A pattern of criminal charges, even if the charges were dismissed, which cause concern that the volunteer may pose a threat to the integrity or safety of the school environment.
     • A conviction, other than minor traffic offenses, that has occurred within the last five years. If the Craven County School System learns that an individual is a registered sex offender, this individual will be barred from volunteering.
   • Craven County School System administers all policies, education programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination against any person on the basis of an individual's race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, creed, age, physical characteristics, national origin, socioeconomic status or disability, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law. Craven County School System does not discriminate in its recruitment, screening and placement of volunteers.

Screening Process

1. Complete the Online Volunteer Application
2. Public Relations Office Reviews Application
3. If application is initially accepted, then Public Relations Office notifies principal to issue authorization form to candidate.
4. If application is initially denied, then the volunteer review screening committee will decide whether to issue authorization form
5. Completed authorization form should be returned to the school principal or assistant principal only. The school principal or assistant principal will forward the authorization form to HRS for processing.
6. Upon receipt of the criminal background check results, HRS will notify the Public Relations Office whether or not the volunteer has been cleared to volunteer in the schools. Public Relations will notify the school that the volunteer has been approved and may begin volunteering. Only those volunteer names that have been approved and shared by PR with the schools should be volunteering.
7. If the results are unfavorable, the Volunteer Review Screening Committee may be convened to determine eligibility of volunteer. Volunteer will receive Pre-adverse Action Letter.
8. If the candidate is not eligible to volunteer, an Adverse Action Letter will be sent by HRS to notify the candidate in writing of the adverse action preventing them from volunteering in the schools.
9. Military personnel may submit a copy of their Federal Background Check Verification Letter from the US Office of Personnel Management in lieu of the Craven County screening requirements.

Notification of Criminal Charges and Convictions While Volunteering

1. While volunteering, if an individual is charged with any violation of conditions used for possible rejection of volunteer participation, he/she shall notify the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resource Services within two business days listing the alleged charges and a narrative of the circumstances surrounding the alleged charges. If the volunteer is hospitalized or incarcerated, the volunteer shall notify the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resource Services within two business days upon release from the medical center or law enforcement detention center. Failure to do so may result in loss of volunteer privileges.
2. While volunteering, If an individual is convicted of any violation of conditions used for possible rejection of volunteer participation, he/she shall notify the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resource Services in writing within two business days and shall provide court documentation detailing the disposition of the charges. Failure to do so shall result in the dismissal of the individual as a volunteer with the school district.
3. The names of all approved volunteers will be added to the third party vendor’s data base as part of the 24/7 Keep Watch Program. Click the link below to apply online. If you have done this process for another school, let us know. We will verify your name on the roster and you will only have to fill out Forms A,B and C.

Craven County employees will NOT appear on our volunteer list. If a parent volunteer works for the school system at any of the Craven County Schools then they are only required to show their Craven County badge. Per Angela Frazier at Central Service they do NOT have to fill out online volunteer forms.

Apply Online with Craven County